Raleigh Ritchie is somebody we’ve been keen on for a while here at Sunset, but lately I’ve been unable to stop listening to his song “Bloodsport.” One of my friends told me the other day that he, too, has been unable to stop listening to “Bloodsport” ever since discovering it on my 2014 Spotify playlist. This inspired me to get to know Raleigh Ritchie a little bit better myself, so I reached out to him to see if he would participate in our Artist Picks feature.

Artist Picks is a series we do where we turn the tables and ask artists for their current music recommendations. It’s a fun way to discover art that’s inspiring creators, rather than just hearing the opinions of influencers like myself. We ask the artist to list 10 songs that they’re currently listening to, tell us why they picked that song, and we put together a playlist with all of their picks plus our favorite song by that artist him or herself.

One might think Raleigh Ritchie’s stunning music is enough to speak for itself, but there’s more to the man that I think you should know. First of all, his stage name is a result of Jacob Anderson’s (Raleigh Ritchie’s birth name) obsession with Bill Murray. He searched through every Bill Murray character he could think of, and eventually settled on names from The Royal Tenenbaums (Raleigh was Bill Murray’s character and Ritchie was Luke Wilson’s). The other thing worth knowing is that he’s also quite well known for his acting career – he acted in Game of Thrones and Adulthood. Not having seen either of those films myself, I trust that he’s a talented actor as well, but selfishly, am very glad he picked up music.

And just like his talents span multiple genres, so too do his musical tastes. I asked him to share 10 songs that he’s currently listening to on repeat, and they range from a quirky song that you might imagine hearing in a Wes Anderson film (mostly “Figure Eight” by Blossom Dearie) to an upbeat trap song (“My Different” by Big Narste). And there’s a whole bunch of variety in between.

Not all of the songs are available on Spotify, so pardon the couple of standalone extras. Hit the jump for the full song list with Raleigh Ritchie’s reasoning for each song and to stream all songs, including Raleigh Ritchie’s own “Bloodsport.”

3. Laura Welsh “Undiscovered”This lady is awesome and I love this song. It all just moves along so nicely. And it’s really catchy. I listen to it in the shower.

4. Womack & Womack “Teardrops”We were watching the video in the studio the other day. The bassist’s got the best moves. He has the best rhythm. Just generally. You know when you watch something on YouTube for the wrong reason (the bassist) and then you’re reminded how amazing that thing actually is? This is that. What a song.

5. Brody Dalle “Don’t Mess With Me”Brody Dalle is a badass. I wouldn’t mess with her. I believe her. I really like this song.

7. Etta Bond & Raf Riley (ExR) “Loophole”I wish I wrote this song. It’s basically perfect. I’m mad at these guys for their talent. This song will get you doing a Naughty by Nature stance and nodding your head until it falls off. The “Meds EP” as a whole is pretty much perfect.

8. Oscar Isaac “Hang Me, Oh Hang Me”This is the last song I listen to most days. I don’t find it easy to sleep so I’ve got to have music on and this is the top of my playlist. It’s pretty dark, but it calms me down. I believe it’s a cover of a guy called Dave Van Ronk, but like with all the songs in the film, Oscar Isaac makes it his own. The Inside Llewyn Davis soundtrack is amazing. I’d love to write a folk album one day. People probably wouldn’t fuck with it, but it would make me happy.

9. Benjamin Clementine “Cornerstone”There’s something really special about this dude. This song gets me. In my heart.

10. Childish Gambino “I. Flight of the Navigator”In about 10 years, there are going to be a load of kids who will ask our generation why we slept on Childish Gambino. This guy is trying new things and looking at a bigger picture in a time where a lot of people are scared to be brave in music. This is probably the track I listen to most from his latest album.